Tuthill KINNEY KC Series User manual

KINNEY®
Two-Stage, Rotary Piston Vacuum Pump
KC Series
Models
KC-5 KC-15
KC-8
OPERATOR’S MANUAL
Manual 1807 Rev B p/n 001807 0000
Tuthill Vacuum & Blower Systems tuthillvacuumblower.com 800.825.6937
WARNING: Do Not Operate Before Reading Manual
Operator’s Manual: Tuthill KC Series Two-Stage, Rotary Piston Vacuum Pump
Copyright © 2017 Tuthill Vacuum & Blower Systems
All rights reserved. Product information and specications subject to change.

Disclaimer Statement:
All information, illustrations and specications in this manual are based on the latest information available at
the time of publishing. The illustrations used in this manual are intended as representative reference views only.
Products are under a continous improvement policy. Thus, information, illustrations and/or specications to
explain and or exemplify a product, service or maintenance improvement may be changed at any time without
notice.
Rights Reserved Statement:
No part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any form by any means - graphic, electronic or me-
chanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or information storage and retrieval systems - without the
written permission of Tuthill Vacuum & Blower Systems.
Copyright © 2017 Tuthill Vacuum & Blower Systems
All rights reserved. Product information and specications subject to change.
The employees of Tuthill Vacuum & Blower Systems thank you for your purchase!
Tuthill Vacuum & Blower Systems proudly manufactures
Kinney®vacuum pumps and M-D PneumaticsTM blowers and
vacuum boosters in Springeld, Missouri, USA. We bring
100+ years of engineering experience and solid, hands-
on care to help customers keep their processes running.
Your satisfaction is important to us so please take time to
provide your Tuthill sales representative with performance
feedback. We love to hear from our customers!
Tuthill is a family owned business that was started by James
B. Tuthill in 1892. At that time, Tuthill manufactured com-
mon brick to Chicago construction companies who were
fueling the city’s rapid expansion. Fast forward to today
and Tuthill now serves sustaining, global markets like agri-
culture, chemical, construction, energy, food and beverage,
pharmaceuticals and medical, transportation, and utilities.
While the company has changed in what it manufactures,
one thing remains throughout every Tuthill line of business
– we are a company with HEART. Our slogan is “Pump Your
Heart Into It” and everyday our employees do just that as
they represent the Tuthill brand and dare to make better.
Thank you for making Tuthill Vacuum & Blower Systems
part of your company’s process! FIND OUT MORE AT
TUTHILL.COM
A company with heart
right from the start.

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Manual 1807 Rev B p/n 001807 0000
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction .................................................................................. 1
Description............................................................................................ 1
Pump Components ............................................................................... 2
Operating Cycle ......................................................................... 2
Sealing and Lubrication ............................................................. 3
Oil Types .................................................................................... 3
Specifications........................................................................................ 4
Safety ............................................................................................ 5
Graphic Conventions Used in this Manual............................................ 5
Safety Instruction Tags.......................................................................... 5
Safety Precautions for Rotary Piston Pumps......................................... 6
Installation .................................................................................... 7
Mounting ............................................................................................... 7
V-Belt..................................................................................................... 7
Discharge Piping .................................................................................. 7
Vacuum Piping ...................................................................................... 7
Vacuum Gauges ................................................................................... 9
Electrical Connections .......................................................................... 9
General ................................................................................................. 9
Filling the Pump with Oil...................................................................... 10
KC-5 and KC-8 ......................................................................... 10
KC-15 ....................................................................................... 10

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Table of Contents
Manual 1807 Rev B p/n 001807 0000
Pre-Start Checks................................................................................. 10
Operation .....................................................................................11
Starting the Pump ............................................................................... 12
Stopping the Pump ............................................................................. 12
Gas Ballast.......................................................................................... 12
Special Refrigeration Service Pumps ................................................ 13
Maintenance ............................................................................... 14
Periodic Maintenance ......................................................................... 14
Changing the Oil ................................................................................. 14
Flooding .............................................................................................. 15
Oil Mist Eliminator ............................................................................... 15
Stalling ................................................................................................ 17
Troubleshooting......................................................................... 18
Checking Pump Performance............................................................. 19
Pump Leaks ........................................................................................ 20
Checking Process Equipment ............................................................ 20
Process Equipment Leaks .................................................................. 20
Leak Checking Techniques................................................................. 21
Oil Contamination................................................................................ 21
Discharge Valve .................................................................................. 21
Shaft Seal ............................................................................................ 22
Disassembly ............................................................................... 24
Reassembly ................................................................................ 26
Replacement Parts..................................................................... 29
Spare Parts ......................................................................................... 29
Ordering Parts .................................................................................... 29
Exploded Views and Parts Lists.......................................................... 30
KC-5 and KC-8 Exploded View Drawing .................................. 30
KC-5 and KC-8 Parts List ......................................................... 31

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Table of Contents
KC-8C Exploded View Drawing................................................ 32
KC-8C Parts List....................................................................... 33
KC-15D Exploded View Drawing.............................................. 34
KC-15D Parts List..................................................................... 35
KC-15L Exploded View Drawing .............................................. 36
KC-15L Parts List ..................................................................... 37

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Table of Contents
Manual 1807 Rev B p/n 001807 0000

Manual 1807 Rev B p/n 001807 0000
1
CONGRATULATIONS on the purchase of a new
KINNEY® KC™ Two-stage, Rotary Piston Vacuum
Pump from Tuthill Vacuum & Blower Systems.
Please examine the pump for shipping damage,
and if any damage is found, report it immediately to
the carrier. If the blower is to be installed at a later
date, make sure it is stored in a clean, dry location
and rotated regularly. Make sure covers are kept
on all openings. If blower is stored outdoors, be
sure to protect it from weather and corrosion.
KINNEY KC vacuum pumps are built to exacting
standards and, if properly installed and maintained,
will provide many years of reliable service. Read
and follow every step of these instructions when
installing and maintaining the blower.
WARNING
!
Serious injury can result from operating or
repairing this machine without rst reading the
service manual and taking adequate safety
precautions.
OTE:NRecord the pump model and serial
numbers in the OPERATING DATA form
on the inside back cover of this manual.
Use this identication on any replacement
part orders, or if service or application
assistance is required.
DESCRIPTION
The KC series of compound high vacuum pumps
covered by this manual consists of two basic pump
groups models:
• KC-5 and KC-8
• KC-15
The pumps within each of the rst two groups are
identical except for the motor and V-belt drive,
which differ in order to produce different rotational
speeds. Specically, models KC-5 and KC-8 are
the same except that the KC-8 is driven faster.
Each Kinney KC pump is an air-cooled rotary
piston high vacuum pump consisting of two rotary
piston pumping stages, which operate in series.
These pumps attain low ultimate pressures of less
than 2 x 10-4 Torr (McLeod gauge). The rugged,
simple design ensures dependable service under
the most severe applications without costly
or complicated maintenance. All components
are easily serviced, and no special tools are
required. Reliable, leak-free shaft seals require no
adjustments or maintenance.
Each pump is equipped with a gas ballast valve,
which regulates the vapor handling capacity of the
pump. Gas ballast helps increase the operation
period between oil changes by preventing oil
contamination by most condensable vapors. It can
also be used to clean the oil once it has become
contaminated. Use of gas ballast also reduces
pump operating noise.
A combination oil separator and oil mist eliminator
is used in place of a conventionally designed oil
INTRODUCTION
01

Manual 1807 Rev B p/n 001807 0000
2
01
Introduction
separator. This combination oil separator and oil
mist eliminator thoroughly lters the pump exhaust
and results in a cleaner pump area, without
expensive and space-consuming exhaust piping
systems.
See Specications on page 4 for pump
specications.
PUMP COMPONENTS
Each pump basically consists of two rotary piston
pumping stages connected in series – a high
vacuum stage and a backing stage. The two rotary
pistons are driven by two eccentric cams keyed to
a common shaft. Each rotary piston has a hollow
extension (slide) that moves through a slide pin
and leads to the inlet of the particular pumping
stage. Ports are cast into the inlet side of each
piston and these ports together with the slide pins
form automatic inlet valves.
The two pumping stages are connected in series
by an internal duct and are enclosed in a single
cylinder. The ends of the cylinder are enclosed by
an open head, through which the shaft extends,
and a closed head. The open head contains a shaft
seal to prevent leakage along the shaft.
A spring-loaded discharge valve is located at the
discharge side of the backing stage (on the open
head end of the pump). An oil mist eliminator is
mounted above the backing stage.
A sight gauge is provided for checking the oil level
in the pump. When the pump is operating at low
inlet pressure, the level should be in the center of
the sight gauge. The oil level will change with large
changes in pump inlet pressure.
Operating Cycle
The operating cycle is shown in Figure 1-1. Gas
from the system enters through the pump inlet.
It passes through the hollow piston slide and out
through the piston slide port into the space being
created between the piston and cylinder wall. As
the piston rotates, this space increases and more
gas is drawn in. At the same time, the gas taken
in and trapped on the previous revolution is on the
compression side of the piston and slide where
it is compressed and discharged into the cored
passageway that leads to the inlet of the backing
stage.
The rotary piston pumping cycle is repeated in the
backing stage. The gas is compressed and forced
out through the discharge valves along with a small
amount of oil and then into the oil mist eliminator
where the oil is separated from the gas. The gas is
discharged to atmosphere and the oil drains back
to the reservoir.

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01
Introduction
Manual 1807 Rev B p/n 001807 0000
Figure 1-1 – Pump Operating Cycle
Sealing and Lubrication
The cylinder walls, pistons, and slide pins are
lubricated and sealed against the backow of
gas by a lm of oil, which lls the close running
clearances. When operating, the cylindrical part
of the piston almost touches the pump cylinder
at a line along the length of the piston. At this
moving line, an effective wave of oil is pushed
ahead of the piston. The oil forms a vacuum tight
seal between the piston and the cylinder, as well
as between all other working components. The
same oil also supplies all required lubrication.
The oil ows through the pump by means of
differential pressure. Because of high pressure at
the discharge and low pressure at the inlet of each
stage, the oil is forced from both oil reservoirs (one
at the discharge of each stage), through internal
cored passageways leading to each pumping
stage. The oil from the backing stage reservoir
lubricates and seals the backing stage, whereas
the oil from the high vacuum stage reservoir
lubricates and seals the high vacuum stage. At the
end of the compression stroke, the oil is forced
out with the discharged gas and returns to the
respective oil reservoir.
Oil Types
The ability of each KC pump to obtain and hold
pressures in the low micron range depends partly
on the use of the proper sealing and lubricating
oil. The AX Vacuum Oil recommended for use with
these pumps is a dry, low-vapor pressure uid with
suitable viscosity. Such oil is necessary for a high
pumping speed at low pressure.
It may be necessary to use other uids for special
applications. If varnishing is a concern, high-
detergent oils may be used. If low-temperature
starting is required, other more suitable uid may
be used. Tuthill Vacuum & Blower Systems can
recommend uids to t most special applications.

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01
Introduction
SPECIFICATIONS
MODEL KC-5 KC-8 KC-15
Free air displacement 5 CFM
(1.42 L/sec)
8 CFM
(3.78 L/sec)
15 CFM
(7.08 L/sec)
Pump speed 630 rpm 1,000 rpm 525 rpm
Motor 0.33 HP
(0.25 kW)
0.5 HP
(0.37 kW)
1.0 HP
(0.75 kW)
Oil capacity 0.5 qt
(0.47 L)
0.8 qt
(0.76 L)
3 qt
(2.84 L)
Inlet connection 1 in. FNPT 1 in. FNPT 2 in. FNPT
Discharge connection 3/4 in. FNPT 3/4 in. FNPT 1-1/4 in. FNPT
Pump shaft diameter 3/4 in.
(19.1 mm)
3/4 in.
(19.1 mm)
3/4 in.
(19.1 mm)
Approximate length 19.13 in.
(486 mm)
19.50 in.
(495 mm)
22.50
(572 mm)
Approximate width 13.25 in.
(337)
12.31 in.
(313 mm)
18.06
(459 mm)
Approximate height 16.19 in.
(411 mm)
16.19 in.
(411 mm)
25.75
(654 mm)
Approximate weight (complete assembly) 115 lb
(52 kg)
120 lb
(54 kg)
210 lb
(95 kg)
Table 1-1